It was an eventful year for the Mason Fire Department in 2024.

Anthony Burns, the town’s first full-time fire chief, left in June, replaced on a part-time basis by Deputy Chief Eric Rantamaki. The change also led the town to appoint Police Chief Kevin Maxwell as the town’s emergency management director.

“Thank you Eric,” Select Board Chair Kate Batcheller said at Town Meeting Saturday morning. “I know it’s a balancing act, working full-time.”

In November, the Pratt Pond brush fire saw fire departments from 21 towns fight a 6 1/2 -acre fire over two days. Because most local fire departments don’t have a lot of members, mutual aid is often required.

“That’s kind of the norm now,” Rantamaki said.

According to Batcheller, the department is at a crossroads, and it is time to make decisions. Among the issues facing the department is a fire truck that failed its pump test which Rantamaki said the town has spent about $10,000 repairing the last five years. 

“We are asking the town to support our fire and EMS,” Batcheller said. “They do a lot for us for the little crew they have.”

Residents responded to the call, as Town Meeting approved a seven-year lease-to-purchase agreement for a pumper truck. The truck will cost $754,604, and of that figure, $105,000 will come from existing Fire Department Engine Capital Reserve funds, another $25,000 will come from Fire Department Engine Capital Reserve funds approved in a later warrant article and $120,000 from fund balance. The remaining $504,603.88 will be the cost of the lease.

“This is not a want-to,” Selectman John Suiter said. “This is a have-to.”

Deputy Fire Chief Kenneth Spacht said the department looked for a smaller truck, but smaller trucks only carry 400 gallons of water, and the department needs 1,000.

Another article approved by Town Meeting called for $27,643 to purchase receivers for the fire, EMS and police departments  in order to fully cover the town. Rantamaki said the northern part of town, in particular, was not well-covered, and Suiter said this was another item that was about need, not want.

“When we were at the Pratt Pond fire, we used our personal cellphones,” Suiter said.

In the operating budget, cutting from a full-time to part-time fire chief saved $24,789 in salary, to $30,000, and another $19,400.63 in retirement benefits. However, the Fire Department line includes $30,000 in per diem payments, as the town looks for ways to keep the department staffed.

The operating budget of approximately $2.62 million, down 1.9%, was approved. Among the largest percentage increases – 17.6% to $85,749.57 – was for the library. The figure includes an increase from $53,456 to $65,027 to accommodate hiring another part-time employee. Librarian Judy Forty said the library has seen an 18% circulation increase.

“There are some weeks we are open three days, and we have 158 people walk through the door,” she said. “People want to come.”

Town Meeting approved all the remaining articles, including $25,000 for the Fire Department Equipment Capital Reserve Fund, $5,000 for the Highway Department Equipment Capital Reserve Fund, $3,121 for the Town Hall Renovation Capital Reserve Fund and $20,000 to establish a Water Hole Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund.

The water hole fund is to clear the town’s water holes so they can be used to help fight fires, funds Batcheller said are always the first to be cut from a budget. Once the reserve fund gets up and running, she said spending for water holes will become part of the budget.

The only article to draw any serious opposition was the final article, a petition article to designate Gilman Hill Road from its intersection with Old County Road to the Brookline town line a scenic road in accordance with state law. The designation provides some protection for trees and stone walls along the road, and was approved in a 27-25 standing vote.

Town Meeting ended with thanks for Selectman John Suiter, who lost to Robert Doyle in the March 11 election. Suiter called his time on the board “a great learning experience,” and said his approach was just to be “John.” Also a Republican state representative for Brookline, Greenville and Mason, Suiter said his desire to serve Mason’s residents extends to trying to acquire help from Concord.

“It’s a real hard thing to do,” he said.